Prestige
by The Lady Avaritia
Summary: 'Look at us – the three Hyugas.' Neji laughed bitterly. 'All of us- grand jounin destined for great deeds, and profitable marriages.  Just look at us! Who wouldn't wan to trade places! Truly, younger cousins, we have all to play for, and all to lose.'


**Title: **Prestige

**Rating: **T  
><strong>Spoilers: none, I guess<strong>

**Characters**: Hinata, Hanabi, Neji

**Summary: ** 'Look at us – the three Hyugas.' Neji laughed bitterly. 'All of us- grand jounin destined for great deeds, and profitable marriages. The daimyo's niece, the third's grandson, the Aburame heir. Just look at us! Who wouldn't wan to trade places! Truly, younger cousins, we have all to play for, and all to lose.'

**Disclaimer: **disclaimed

**Author Note: Just a snippet of life in a grand family. Don't ask me –I WILL NOT make it a multi-chapter story. You can adopt it if you want, though. Just make sure to ask nicely and give me credit.**

**Author: **_Lady Avaritia_

Hanabi and Hinata were lounging in their adjoined presence chamber and enjoying a cup of sake. Hanabi was officially a jounin now, at the age of twelve, much to their father's satisfaction. The night had long ago covered the sky with a mourning veil, and the moon was weeping starry tears. In the death of night only the hushed conversation between the sisters could interrupt the fragile silence.

'Father will have me marry that man, for sure,' Hanabi said. The statement was pertaining to the Honorable Grandson Konohamaru Sarutobi, who was a year or two older than her, and had turned into quite a handsome young man since he'd become jounin almost a year ago.

'Well, it is not that bad, I can tell,' Hinata comforted her. 'He is good-looking and rich, and has a good family-name.'

'Well,' Hanabi agreed, 'I cannot be too picky. Father does, as he wishes, and there is that. He almost had you marry the Kazekage, after all.'

Hinata sighed.

'I could not keep him interested. I am no good at the game of love, I suppose. I've never been much of a courtier.'

'Father was quite furious with you. But you are back in his good books, I should say, now that you are betrothed to the Aburame heir.'

'I should say so, yes.'

The two lapsed in a silence. Their thoughts were interrupted by the customary Hyuga knock – one time silent, and then two quicker.

'Who can it be this late?' Hinata wondered. 'Could it be a family meeting?'

'Or maybe it's cousin Neji…Neji, is that you?' Hanabi asked.

'The one and only,' came the response. 'May I be allowed the pleasure of your presence, oh lovely ladies?'

'You can come in, we're decent,' Hinata called.

'I had so hoped you weren't,' Neji said as he entered and closed the door with a flourish. He was holding two small sake bottles.

'A small token to lay at your feet, lovely goddesses of beauty. I do not deserve to breathe the same air as you,' he said with a mock bow and handed over the sake.

Hanabi's eyes narrowed.

'Have you been drinking, cousin?'

'Oh, yes, my lovely lady. For the past three hours. And when you order me to leave you presence, I shall go and sleep it off, and in the morning, when I am sober, I shall go to the Naka River and I shall drown myself there.' He announced darkly and flopped down on a cushion.

'Pray God, cousin, why?' Hinata gasped.

'I am betrothed to be married to Lady Mudana Shinzo, of the daimyo's court,' he said gravely.

'She is the daimyo's niece, is she not? That should do to rise our family's position at court,' Hanabi said practically.

'Why, you have never seen!' Neji cried desperately. 'She is a snake. Her name alone means 'vain heart'! Cousins, I am a man condemned. This venomous woman shall be the death of me.'

'Well who would you rather have a wife?' Hanabi asked. 'Our rise in power is of the gravest importance.'

'I should much rather have my teammate Ten-Ten than this… this creature.'

'She is a nobody,' Hanabi said crudely. 'Father will not marry you off to a nobody. If he says you are to marry Shinzo-sama, you are to marry her, and like it.'

The brutality of her words crashed all else anyone might have said.

'I guess it is just our luck, then,' Hinata said softly. 'To have been born in such a great family.'

'It is indeed,' Hanabi agreed. 'It is our luck and our curse, and we will be damned if we don't play it till the end.'

'Look at us – the three Hyugas.' Neji laughed bitterly. 'All of us- grand jounin destined for great deeds, and profitable marriages. The daimyo's niece, the third's grandson, the Aburame heir. Just look at us! Who wouldn't wan to trade places! Truly, younger cousins, we have all to play for, and all to lose.'

His words were filled with the arrogant pride of all Hyugas, laced with sore anger, and bitterness, and edged harshly with the desperation of a defeated man.

'Look at us, indeed,' Hanabi said idly.

'The three grand Hyugas destined for grand actions.'


End file.
